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Adrian Magson

Sunday, 23 April 2017

Writing for Beginners (28)

So what have you done
today…?

This may come as a surprise to some people, but I have to confess to a secret: I don’t write every
single day. Well, I have a life to lead, too, and that life sometimes has a habit of getting
in the way . Take last week, for instance, when I put my foot through
the ceiling while insulating the loft. Or maybe that’s best forgotten…

But, while I might
not be actually writing, you don’t know what I’m thinking about, do you? As my
wife can testify, repeated calls from Earth to Planet Adrian often fail to
penetrate the muggy wool of creative thought, no matter what I’m up to.

It’s said that
every journey begins with the first step.

Unfortunately, many journeys - in a
writing sense, at least - never take place. Why? Because some writers don't
actually get round to doing what they’re dreaming of, which is writing.

‘If only I had
time … ’ is one of the most repeated complaints one hears from would-be writers
(and readers, sadly, which is scary on another scale), and nobody is doubting the
relentless pull of work, family, relationships, DIY, chat-rooms, mobile phone
and so on.

But who said you
had to write a whole book in one sitting? Do you eat a whole year’s supply of
food in one go? Do you paint the entire house in one day? Do you repair that hole in the ceiling- well, actually, that one I grant you was different.

I know setting
goals can be boring, and I wouldn’t suggest anyone regiments their life to the
extent that they constantly have their eyes on some kind of rigid daily writing
routine. That can stifle creativity faster than a dose of migraine, and we all
have enough routines to choke an elephant. But looking at a way of getting
round that flurry of everyday activity which kills off any attempt at writing,
it can be done realistically, if you have the willpower and desire.

A gentleman
recently told me with absolute conviction: ‘I never have a minute to write – I
only wish I did.’ He then went on to list all the things he had to do every
day, which kept him on his feet and unable to pursue his love of writing. My
suggestion was to use his time in the bathroom to greater effect.

I’m not sure he
was too impressed by this. But if he really was as hectically busy as he
claimed, surely he owed it to himself to snatch at least a few minutes with a
notepad – no matter where? If a man’s home really is his castle, then his
bathroom must be not only the smallest, but the most private keep in the house.

Conversely, a
lady in a bookshop had a very different attitude. She told me that
whenever she managed to write something, no matter how brief, she felt a huge
sense of achievement, even pride. She was also very busy, but managed to find
and use little pockets in her day to good effect, even if it meant writing just
the first line of a new story or sketching out a fresh scene which had suddenly
occurred to her.

She was, quite
simply, doing it rather than merely thinking about it.

Ceilings
notwithstanding, I do this myself, even when I’m working on other projects. I
jot down ideas, take snatches of dialogue which sound appealing, and I
constantly think about what I’m currently working on or would like to work on
next. In fact, if I were to check my IDEAS folder, I’d find stuff which will
probably take me years to get round to… or maybe just a couple of days, because
in there might be something that will fit in with a project I’m currently
writing.

I liken it to
chipping away at a large chunk of wood; eventually, I’ll have something
recognisable which I can work on more fully and with more energy and focus,
because the desire to do it will push me to get on with it.

And that’s the
key: if you want to do something enough, you will manage it somehow. If you
have that inner burn to write, that itch that simply won’t go away, especially when
you pick up a good book or a short story and think you could do just as well,
you will find a way. It may be a sentence here or a short piece of dialogue
there; it might even be thinking of a name for a character, or a description.
But those small, even tiny achievements are not to be dismissed lightly.
Because they will add up, and they will grow, as will your determination to
make something of them, no matter how busy. And that’s a greater achievement.

TOP TIPS

·Snatch those pockets in your life (travelling,
queuing, waiting – and yes, in the bathroom) to write something.

·Thought of a scene? Sketch it out in six words –
you can flesh it out later.

·Take pleasure from having started
something – but don’t let it stop there.

·Say ‘I’m writing’ - and mean it.

·Go to sleep with a sense of achievement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taken from my book 'Write On! - the Writer's Help Book' - (Accent Press) - available in p/b and ebook

D

o you know a writer who might benefit from this book? If so, check it out here.

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About Me

I'm the author of 21 spy and crime thrillers, a YA paranormal novel, a crime/adventure cross-over and 2 short fiction anthologies. I also write book reviews for SHOTS Magazine and the 'Beginners' column for WRITING Magazine, and from that have completed a non-fiction book - 'Write On! - The Writer's Help Book'.
Represented by David Headley of the DHH Literary Agency, London - http://www.dhhliteraryagency.com
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email me on: magsona@btinternet.com